LED Displays: It Matters Where They’re Built

NanoLumens is proud our products are designed and built in America. We take great care in ensuring all our displays are crafted with the most reliable components by the most skilled engineers. It’s because of this strict attention to detail that we can offer our 6 year, zero failure corner to corner warranty.

As Vice President of International Sales for NanoLumens, you’d expect me to say all of this but recently we encountered a perfect example of why it’s so true. NanoLumens was called in to help save the day after a company bought a cheaply-made display from another country. We replaced over 600 flexible Chinese LED modules which all failed within a 3 month period of production. We replaced them with our NanoLumens flexible modules and have had zero failures in a full year.

If you’re considering a display from a non-USA market, I’d suggest, at a minimum, you take these steps to verify a few specifications for your own protection.

1) Make sure the LEDs are rated for 100,000 hours and not 50,000 hours. If they are rated for 50,000 hours it’s likely the product was built with very low cost LEDs. 50,000 hours translates to less than 6 years of LED life. It also means the LEDs will dim at a very fast rate, and at different levels from module to module due to the inconsistency in the quality of the LED Diode. Over a short period of time this will create a mosaic effect on the displays. Because of the low cost of replacement modules, the solution is to flood you with spare modules that will not match the originals. Considering the multiple ranges of dissipation from module to module on the existing display, it will be virtually impossible to match the remaining modules, even with recalibration.

2) If the modules are fully flexible and the LEDs rest on a rubber surface as the main and only support for the actual LEDs and other module components, be careful. The solder joints are subject to failure, because of the lack of physical support.

In the example above, the modules were handled during installation, subjecting them to failure. The manufacturer did not warranty those modules and, consequently, blamed the end user for mishandling them. The Temperature within the modules are also subject to fluctuation and the rubber will react, stressing the solder points even further, especially if the objective is to shut the displays down overnight or if the environment experiences frequent temperature changes. The 600 Chinese modules we replaced had both the above characteristics.

NanoLumens attacks the potential for these same failure at the design level. We employ a semi-rigid PCB board as part of the nixel (display board) design which provides the stability required to maintain the integrity on hundreds of thousands internal solder joints while still maintaining module flexibility. A rigid PCB board also works as a heat sink for the LEDs and protects the soldering points so fluctuating temperatures will not stress the modules.

To minimize failures, we also do what’s known as a “Double Gold Bond” to each LED Diode. The main failure points for each LED Diode is at the solder points between the power source and the LED Diode themselves. When providing power to each diode, instead of a single point of contact, we add a second connection point (double bond), so if the first connection breaks, we have a redundant power source connection point at the diode level, significantly reducing failure rates. By using a gold wire to make the connection, the heat generated within the LED Diode is further reduced, again significantly reducing the failure rate at the diode level.

We know we are not the lowest cost provider and that isn’t our ambition. We just want to be the best at an affordable price. When we offer you a Six Year Zero Failure Warranty, it’s not because we commit to just providing parts for six years, it’s because we commit to a very low failure rate. The caliber of clients that we partner with means failure is not an option. We understand our partners and clients also expect the best of the best so we hold ourselves to the highest standards.

We hope you see the total value in NanoLumens. Partners like Mac Cosmetics, Holt Renfrew and CBS Outdoor. rely on us because we are a proven technology that works. We are zero risk in a zero fail environment, because we acknowledge failure could result in millions of lost revenue for our advertising partners.

About the Author

Almir DeCarvalho is a strategic sales leader with cultural finesse and understanding of the relationship. In his role as the Vice President of Sales, East Coast, he is responsible for expanding the global footprint of NanoLumens while also enhancing the ongoing relationships of top tiers partners. One of the first fifteen employees and an active member of the NanoLumens leadership team, Almir brings his straight shooting ideas and strong work ethic to this already talented team.
As a global citizen, Almir is fluent in Portuguese and conversational Spanish. He is a mentor and coach both at work and at home and is looking forward to many a college tour in the coming years as he helps to lead his two daughters on their paths to higher education.